PRINT TOTAL COST OF PRESCRIPTION ON RECEIPT
House Bill 4249
Sponsor: Rep. Mike Kowall
Committee: Health Policy
Complete to 3-13-01
A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 4249 AS INTRODUCED 2-14-01
The bill would amend the Public Health Code to require that the total cost of prescriptions, including any discounts and the amount paid by health insurance, on prescription receipts.
Currently, the health code requires that pharmacists furnish the "purchaser" of a prescription drug, at the time the drug is "delivered," a receipt "evidencing the transactions" and containing certain specified information. Prescription receipts must include the brand name of the drug or, if the drug has no brand name, the name of the manufacturer or supplier; the strength of the prescription ("if significant"); the quantity dispensed ("if applicable"); the name and address of the pharmacy; the prescription serial number; the date the prescription was initially dispensed; the name of the prescriber; the name of the patient for whom the drug was prescribed; and the price for which the drug was sold to the "purchaser." If this information is included on the prescription container label, the label constitutes a valid receipt to the purchaser. The pharmacist is required to keep a copy of each prescription receipt, and including the required information on the written prescription form and keeping that form constitutes keeping a copy of the receipt.
The bill would require, in addition to the information currently required on prescription drug receipts, the "total" price for which the prescription drug had been sold, including, but not limited to, all of the following information regarding the total price: (a) any discount given and the source of the discount; and (b) if the prescription were paid for in whole or in part by the purchaser's health care payment or benefit plan, the amount of the payment. The bill also would specify that pharmacists would have to keep copies of each prescription receipt for at least 90 days and would change the terminology (from "delivered" to "dispensed") used to describe when a pharmacist would be required to furnish a prescription drug receipt to a purchaser. Finally, the bill also would make some technical language changes, including generally adding "prescription" before the word "drug" in this section of the health code.
MCL 333.17757
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This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.